CrazyCatLady - My vet is a 70 year old semi-retired (meaning he only works 5 days a week and every other Saturday) guy. He and his wife (also a vet) retired to Tennessee from Oregon. She raises walking horses and he fixes tractors in his spare time, not that they have much of that.
This clinic was opened to give them a little extra income and something to do. It’s a farming community, and he has no desire to be a suburban vet. He’s a sweet guy who is always taking in healthy animals that people want euthed for no good reason, and rehomes them. Not that he steals the animals, he just tells the people if they sign them over to him, he’ll treat them and rehome them. In fact, at the same time he was doing my shepherd’s CCL ($800 with x-rays, bloodwork, antibiotics and including extra films of his hips), he was doing a CCL on a dog he ended up keeping on his farm.
He’s also the last vet in the world to give you his home and cell numbers and will meet you after hours in an emergency. He has leukemia, and God help me when he dies or decides to retire. He may not be the fanciest vet in the world, but he has compassion and common sense, which mean a lot more to me than a white labcoat instead of a John Deere T-shirt.
Sorry you’ve had so much trouble with your pup! Hope it’s all resolved now.
My dog has flea allergies as well. I usually keep her on Advantage year-round to prevent her getting a single bite, because once she has an allergic reaction it’s usually a problem long after the fleas are gone… she’ll turn her whole back into a hot spot. The more she chews and licks, the worse it gets, she’s been completely bald on her lower back before. So when she’s having a reaction I also use a cortisone/steroid spray or ointment to try to keep the inflammation and chewing to a minimum. I’d suggest a topical treatment for your pup if he keeps itching… but he probably won’t. My dog is a breed that not only has sensitive skin, but was historically bred up in the mountains where fleas don’t even exist, the whole breed has severe flea allergy problems.
Sorry about your pup, Bearflag70. Hopefully, he’ll earn his keep for a little while without making new drama.
For what it is worth, your prices look on par for the situation and good quality medicine.